Adjustable door-fender



(No Model.)

- I. A. RITZ.

ADJUSTABLE DOOR FENDER.

No. 515,792. Patented Mar. 6, 1894,

Ina/ Ziz'i'z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA A. Rrrz, or'NEwToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

ADJUSTABLE DOOR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,792, dated March 6, 1894.

Application filed July 27, 1893. Serial No. 481,645- (No model.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA A. RITZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at, Newtonville, inthe county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Door-Fender, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in door-fenders employed for closing door-openlngs for the purpose of preventing the escape or passage therethrough of small children.

Thc'objects of my invention are toprovide a cheap and simple fender, that maybe readily adjusted to fit anyordinary door and applied to the same without extraneous fastening devices or marring of the door, and which may be decreased in height so as to permit grown people to step over the same and be readily re-elevated or increased in height to prevent the escape of the children.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter specified and particularly pointed outin the claims.

. Referring to the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fender constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being in position in a door-Way. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the adj usting screw. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the upper sliding section. Fig.

'4: is a vertical longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the upper corner of the fender.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the practice of my invention I employ a pair of opposite vertical guide-bars 1, the same'heing of such length as to agree with the desired height of the fender, and these guide-bars are provided upon their inner sides with vertical grooves 2. The guide-bars are connected midway their ends and at their lower ends by transverse bars 3, the same being parallel-toeach other and having two of their ends projecting beyond the guide-bars 1, in this instance, at the right of the device, and there provided with rubber tips or buffers 4:. The upper side of the upper bar 3 and the lower side of the lower bar 8 are provided with longitudinal recesses or ways 5, and the same are engaged by reversely arranged transverse bars 6 mounted for sliding upon the bars 3 and interlocking therewith in the manner shown. These bars 6 are connected by vertical strips 7 and near their outer ends by longer vertical strips 8, the latter being of the same length as the guide-bars 1. At their outer ends the bars 6 are provided with rubber tips or buffers a similar to those of the bars 3. The bars 3 are connected by means of an intermediate vertical short strip 9, which corresponds to the inner strip 7 that connects the bars 6, and these strips are provided upon their inner faces with vertical cleats 10, the same having threaded perforations 11 formed transversely therein and opposite each other, and are connected by means of a coarse, threaded, wooden adjusting-screw 12, having a handle 13 at one end. Thus it will be seen that through the medium of the adjusting-screwthe bars 6 may be moved upon the bars 3 and the width of the tender as a whole increased or diminished, and the rubber tips or buffers of the extension-bars 3 bound against the inner faces of the door-frame.

Mounted between the guide bars l is a transverse rail 14, the same having depending therefrom a series of vertical bars 15, which are connected at their lower ends by a cross piece 16. Secured to' the cross-piece and to the rail 14 are blocks 17, the same having their outer ends provided with tenons 18 which take loosely within the grooves 2 of the guide-bars, and therefore'serve to guide the vertically slidable upper frame therein.

In the upper ends of the grooves 2 are mounted spring-catches 19, the same being covered by means of inverted U-shaped metal plates 20 with which the ends of the bars 1,

are provided and having their upper ends projecting through slots 21 formed in the plates. The shoulders of these catches are designed to engage with the under sides of the tenons 18 and thus maintain the sliding section elevated.

To adjust the fender to the door the same is placed in position, and if found to be too small or narrow the wood screw is worked so as to slide the extension-bars 6 upon the bars 3 in the manner heretofore described, whereby the rubber bufiers or tips are caused to impinge tightly against the door-frame. By pressing the catches outward the upper section slides or falls vertically so as to decrease the height of the fender as a whole, and a grown person may readily step over the lower stationary section. By simply raising the movable section the shoulders of the catches are caused to engagewith the under sides of the tenons and thus lock the section in an elevated position, and children are prevented from leaving the room.

' My invention may be employed in hallways, as Well as doors, and will be found useful Wherever used for the purpose for which it is intended.

I do not limit my invention to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, but hold that I may make such variations as will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my in vention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a door-fender, the combination with a lower stationary section adapted to be inserted in a doorway, and provided with opposite Vertical guides, of a vertically movable section arranged in the guides, and means for locking the same in an elevated position, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the opposite vertical guides 1, having their inner sides grooved and their upper ends provided with catches, and the transverse grooved extension-bars 3 havingtwoof their endsprojectingbeyond one of the guide-bars, of the sliding extensionbars 6 arranged in the grooved bars 3, vertical bars connecting the same, threaded perforations formed in one of the vertical bars that connects the bars 6 and one of those that connects the bars 3, an adjusting screw pass ing through the perforations, and a sliding section arranged in the guides and adapted to be engaged by the catches, substantially as specified.

3. In a door-fender, the combination with the vertical longitudinally grooved guide-bars 1, and means for securing the same in a doorway, of the transverse bars 14 and 16, the intermediate vertical bars 15, and the tenoned blocks 17 arranged at the ends of the bars 14 and 16 and engaging the grooves of the bars 1, and the shouldered spring catches arranged in the upper ends of the grooves and adapted to engage under the tenons of the blocks, substantially as specified.

4.. The combination with the opposite vertical guides 1, and the transverse grooved extension-bars 3 having two of their ends projecting beyond one of the guide-bars, of the sliding extension bars 6 arranged in the grooved bars 3, vertical bars connecting the same, threaded perforations formed in one of the vertical bars that connects the bars 6 and one of those that connects the bars 3, and an adjustingscrew passing through the perforations, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownI have hereto aftixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. I

Vvitnesses:

(MARY PAYNE, O. P. GREGORY. 

